解説　場面 150「家へ招かれて」

A flush of vexation passed over her expressive face. "We have been talking at cross purposes," said she.

表情豊かな彼女の顔に、いら立ちの赤みが走った。「話が食い違ってしまいました」と彼女は言った。

"Why, you had not very much time for talk," her brother remarked with the same questioning eyes.

「話す時間は、それほどなかったようだが」と、兄は同じ問いただす目つきで言った。

"I talked as if Dr. Watson were a resident instead of being merely a visitor," said she. "It cannot much matter to him whether it is early or late for the orchids. But you will come on, will you not, and see Merripit House?"

「ワトソン先生を、ただのお客様ではなく、住む方のように思って話したの」と彼女は言った。「ランには早いか遅いかなんて、先生にはあまり関わりのないことね。でも、いらしてメリピット荘をご覧になるでしょう？」

A short walk brought us to it, a bleak moorland house, once the farm of some grazier in the old prosperous days, but now put into repair and turned into a modern dwelling. An orchard surrounded it, but the trees, as is usual upon the moor, were stunted and nipped, and the effect of the whole place was mean and melancholy. We were admitted by a strange, wizened, rusty-coated old manservant, who seemed in keeping with the house. Inside, however, there were large rooms furnished with an elegance in which I seemed to recognize the taste of the lady. As I looked from their windows at the interminable granite-flecked moor rolling unbroken to the farthest horizon I could not but marvel at what could have brought this highly educated man and this beautiful woman to live in such a place.

少し歩くと着いた。荒れ地の殺風景な家で、昔景気のよかった頃は牧畜業者の農家だったが、今は修理され、新しい住居に変えられていた。果樹園が取り巻いていたが、荒れ地の常として木は小さく、寒さに傷み、全体の印象は貧弱で物悲しかった。家と似合うような、妙にしなびた、色あせた上着の老僕に迎え入れられた。だが、中には大きな部屋があり、優雅なしつらえに、あの女性の趣味を認める気がした。窓から、花崗岩の斑点のある果てしない荒れ地が、遠い地平線まで途切れずうねるのを見た。この高い教養のある男と美しい女を、何がこんな場所に住まわせたのかと、不思議に思わずにはいられなかった。